Prepare your child for Back to School with the help of books!
Books are a great way to introduce new topics or beginnings like starting school with your child.
You simply can’t go wrong with adding books to your child’s home library!
How I became a children’s book collector
I started collecting children’s book over twenty plus years ago when I landed my first Lead Montessori teacher position; and although I no longer teach, all of my book are very special to me and I cannot see parting with them (even against my husband’s wishes!)
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Building your child’s library
If you haven’t started collecting books for your child’s library yet, then this list of book is a great place to start! Try to fill their library with books that offer variety of topics, and that are of course going to interest and captivate your child’s attention! Books make great gifts, for anytime of the year.
20 must have books to prepare your little one for Back to School
1. Llama llama back to school
Llama llama is anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!
2. How to catch a class pet
The class pets escaped from their cages and are running loose in your school! Lizards, hamsters, rabbits, and birds are on the loose… and a bearded dragon is leading the hilarious escape. Join the fun and find out if YOU have what it takes to catch these riotous pets on their wild field trip!
3. Time for school, Little Blue Truck
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are excited to meet a bright yellow school bus on the road. They see all the little animals lined up in the school bus’s many windows, and Blue wishes he could be a school bus too.
4. The Pigeon HAS to go to school!
Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn’t like it? What if the teacher doesn’t like him? What if he learns TOO MUCH!?!
5. If you take a mouse to school
The famous mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is back for his first day of school. If you take a mouse to school, he’ll ask you for your lunch box. When you give him your lunch box, he’ll want a sandwich to go in it. Then he’ll need a notebook and some pencils. He’ll probably want to share your backpack, too.
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6. A little Spot goes to school
This fun and informative book will show any child what to expect when they start school. Children will be entertained while learning about classroom expectations, classroom rules, and what they can look forward to learning in class!
7. Preschool, here I come!
Because preschool is full of so many firsts, this collection of funny, joyful poems is a must-have for all small scholars in the making.
8. Lola Goes to School
Lola and her family prepare for the first day of school the night before, then get up early, take pictures, and head to class. Lola puts her things in her cubby, chooses her activities, reads, plays, and has a snack. Before she knows it, it’s time to sing the good-bye song and rush into Mommy’s arms for a warm reunion.
9. David Goes to School
David’s teacher has her hands full. From running in the halls to chewing gum in class, David’s high-energy antics fill each school day with trouble.
10. Pete the Cat: Too cool for school
Pete the Cat can’t decide what to wear to school in Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School. With so many groovy options to choose from, Pete just keeps adding on. All of Pete’s friends have a suggestion for what he should wear to school. But by the time he’s added cowboy boots, shorts with fish, his red shirt AND his yellow shirt—and even more—he’s too hot.
11. Clifford goes to Kindergarten
Emily Elizabeth is starting kindergarten and she’s a little nervous. Good thing that the teacher sent a note home that says each child can bring something from home to make the transition a little easier. But the teacher didn’t bet on a child bringing something — or someone — as big as Clifford!
12. School is Cool
School Is Cool! the perfect back-to-school gift for those gearing up for their big day, whether they are worried about not knowing the rules, how to make friends, or how to fit in.
13. I’m Going to Kindergarten!
Going to kindergarten is so much fun! This Little Golden Book follows a happy little girl on her first day of school. She and her new classmates play a game to get to know each other, explore the classroom (there’s an art station and a class pet!), learn to raise their hand before speaking, practice standing in line without getting all “giggly and wiggly,” enjoy story time, and lots more.
14. I Got the School Spirit
Summer is over, and this little girl has got the school spirit! She hears the school spirit in the bus driving up the street–VROOM, VROOM!–and in the bell sounding in the halls–RING-A-DING! She sings the school spirit in class with her friends–ABC, 123!
15. How do dinosaurs go to school?
The dinosaurs are back! This time with a book about how dinosaurs behave at school! More fun dinosaur antics await. These prehistoric pupils are in a class of their own!
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16. Froggy Goes to School
Froggy’s mother knows that everyone’s nervous on the first day of school. “Not me!” says Froggy, and together they leapfrog to the bus stop — flop flop flop. Froggy’s exuberant antics will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun. This is a great read-aloud with sounds and words that encourage active participation….A charming story to calm those pre-school jitters.
17. Stanley the Dog: The first day of school
Today is Stanley’s first day of school—and he really doesn’t want to go. Stanley would rather dawdle in bed and dither over which collar to wear than get on the school bus. With his stomach turning into tighter knots by the minute, Stanley’s worried whether a bulldog like him will ever fit in with the other pups at school.
18. How to Be Kind in Kindergarten
This collection of short poems–one to a page–spans the entire year of kindergarten, offering sweet and simple tips on how to be your best self–sharing your umbrella with a friend; taking turns on the swings, and inviting someone to join in a game.
19. The Night Before Preschool
It’s the night before preschool, and a little boy named Billy is so nervous he can’t fall asleep. The friends he makes the next day at school give him a reason not to sleep the next night, either: he’s too excited about going back! The book’s simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations will soothe any child’s fears about the first day of school.
20. The Night Before Kindergarten
It’s the first day of school! Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all–saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. But maybe it won’t be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is!
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In conclusion
Hopefully one or many of these books come in handy with helping your child prepare for going back to school. Making sure your child feels comfortable about their back to school journey is the ultimate goal. Using the humor and fun manner these books provide will hopefully put your child’s mind at ease about going back to school to learn new things!
Do you have any other Back to School book titles that your child loves? I’d love for you to share about them in the comments!
Happy Reading and cheers to a wonderful school year!
Anitra J.
Encouraging our children to love reading is a great habbit to start at a young age. I love the list of books you got there. I’ll check them out soon.
I agree with you. It’s so important for us to make sure that our kids are comfortable for their back to school journey.
I miss reading my kids picture books like these. Children’s books are awesome. We loved the Pigeon ones!
This is a great book list! My daughter loves llama llama and Pigeon books.
My kids are adore Pete the Cat and Llama Llama books. We’ll check out these titles.
How did I not know that Little Blue Truck has a school version?!
This is a great book list. We have the Pete the Cat book and my son loves it. We’d love to get a copy of the How do dinosaurs go to school because my son keeps on asking if dinosaurs went to school too. This is just perfect.
I still remember reading the Llama books to my daughter because she was scared for me to leave her at preschool. Great list of books!